Tianfu Square

Surrounded by the Soviet-style Chengdu Municipal Government Building to the north and by department stores on just about every other side, the spacious and audacious Tianfu Square makes for a dignified city center. Recently spruced up, the square now boasts regular shows where a litany of fountains shoot water high into the sky in time with rousing revolutionary-style music. Beneath the square are shopping arcades and the center of the soon-to-be-revealed Chengdu subway system. But perhaps the most famous feature of Tianfu Square is the gigantic statue of Chairman Mao which stands on the north of the square waving hello to all the passers-by. Mao statues are disappointingly rare in China, so this one is a real treat.